It is well known that conductive sheets can be prepared by mixing a thermal conductor with an electrically insulating polymer to bind the thermal conductor together in the form of a sheet. It is also well known that conductive sheets prepared by mixing a thermal conductor with an electrically insulating polymer suffer from reduced thermal conductivity. Examination of the thermal conductor particle-to-particle contacts in the prior art shows that the reason for this reduced thermal conductivity is that the electrically insulating polymer film is interposed between the thermal conductor particles. Since polymers are poor thermal conductors, the sheet's thermal conductivity is reduced each time the heat flows through the polymer film interposed between the graphite particles.
There exists a need to provide a conductive sheet that does not suffer from reduced conductivity as the result of interposing electrically insulating polymer between the thermal conductor particles.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.